The invention is applicable to any case where it is desired to grease bearings automatically independently of one another and during machine rotation. This applies when operating conditions for the bearings in a machine differ depending on bearing location, one bearing being nearer to a source of heat dissipation than another, for example.
Thus, the invention applies in particular to automatically and independently greasing the bearings of a turbomolecular vacuum pump.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,336 describes a system for automatically feeding ball bearings with oil. It includes a photovoltaic sensor for determining the ratio between the speed of rotation of the ball bearing cage relative to the speed of rotation of the shaft. As a function of this information, a control system 54 generates an injection cycle and controls a pump.
However, this system is not suitable for feeding bearings with grease as a function of their real requirements.
The invention provides a device for feeding bearings with grease as a function of their real requirements and in a manner which is accurately calibrated.